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The Hawai’i State Fish: Reef Triggerfish

What is the most difficult word you have ever tried to pronounce? We are pretty sure that the Hawaiian name of the reef triggerfish will give it a run for its money! The state fish of Hawai’i is the reef triggerfish, Rhinecanthus rectangulus, and its Hawaiian name is humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa. Try saying that one three times fast! These reef triggerfish are really cool fish who can be found in many shallow reef areas around the Hawaiian Islands, so we wanted to use this article to cover some of the unique aspects of these fish.

Reef triggerfish may not be the largest fish in the sea (they only reach a maximum of 30 cm in length), but they are sturdy fish who have powerful jaws. Something really unique about triggerfish is the placement of their eyes compared to most fish. Their eyes are set far back on their head, almost on top of their head, to allow them to eat one of their favorite snacks, sea urchins, without getting poked in the eye. However, the placement of their eyes is not the coolest feature of their eyes! Triggerfish are able to move each eye independently to aid in prey and predator detection (Hoover 1993), which is a bit creepy but a super cool adaptation for life on the reef!

While living on the island of O’ahu we have had the pleasure of viewing reef triggerfish multiple times. Here in the Hawaiian Islands they do not seem to display many aggressive behaviors, but in other areas, such as Guam, from personal observations the triggerfish seem to be more aggressive and protective of their territory. Check out this cool video to learn more about these awesome fish!

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